My Joo Chiat Corner art series (part 2)

​The art journey inspired by Van Gogh continues with the depictions of the nooks and corners around my studio in the peranakan enclave, Joo Chiat, in eastern Singapore..  

The exploration begins within my studio where I was inspired by a neighbour to garden. Twas another trials and tribulations journey for one not predisposed to green fingers and a therapeutic journey to have some finally flourish and adorn my window view :)  As well as inspire me to paint still life!

      

                                    Kalanchoe of Joy, 24x18 inches, oil on canvas

With these yellow florals I had bought for chinese new year looking mightily familiar to me ~ reminiscent of a certain master's famous sunflowers ~ Kalanchoe of Joy was born with a composition that is a nod to Van Gogh, no less. The companion piece, Orchid of Life, is a special one as the Singapore national flower is an orchid. It was pure joy to watch these elegant blooms open one by one. And to paint them :) 

   

      

                                     Orchid of Life, 24x18 inches, oil on canvas

Enough smiling with the flowery, the next works are literally corner pieces. To live up to my art series' namesake, kidding ;p There is a beauty to architecture in corners. They anchor the place and provide a fascinating study of the crossing cultures and historical mix of the place. I believe that buildings are alive and witnesses to the tumultuous happenings around them in the passage of time. I don't like straight lines and so in spite of my love for painting buildings, they are never mathematically structural and always organic to my surreal feel for the sights and sounds of the scenes that touch me.

 

Joo Chiat Corner, 24x36 inches, oil on canvas 

Joo Chiat Corner holds a dear childhood memory to me. Twas an old bus route that I used to take with the bus huffing and puffing at the turn, oft getting stuck due to some parked vehicle. The same bus still goes by today but the road is now an improved one-way with a nice pavement. I miss the shops of old with the bustling traditional trades but I also like the mix of old and modern today with the contrasting architecture at both sides that have seen the times change. On the left we have the more Malay-Islamic style buildings leading to Geylang Serai. On the right are the more Chinese ones with some truly beautiful peranakan residences down the stretch. Joo Chiat Road itself is a bridge between malay Geylang Serai and chinese peranakan Katong areas, 2 distinct cultures. And so we have an interesting melting pot of 2 colourful architectural influences at this lovely corner that inspired my whimsical take. 

  

       

                The Corner Shophouse (joo chiat road), 30x20 inches, oil on canvas

Just further down Joo Chiat Road is an iconic shophouse in an angled corner, a 1928 building with impressive chinese dragons overlooking the buzz in the shops below. The building was originally bright yellow when I moved into the area and then painted over beige white which annoyed me at the loss of colour. But one day when I was walking by in the twilight, the dark mahogany motifs came alive and struck me how delicately intricate they were with many unknown ancient creatures woven into them if one were to look carefully. The motifs of this building are simply beautiful no matter what new paint coats adorn them or how the shops below have changed from traditional trades to a hip coffee joint today. And it is this slice of history, this moment in time, that I am capturing in The Corner Shophouse, just as the architectural beauty itself is a timeless testament travelling from the past to the present.

 
Pretty Alley (koon seng road), 24x18 inches, oil on canvas, SOLD
 

Insta enthusiasts and tourists often make a beeline for the Koon Seng Road shophouses near the middle junction of Joo Chiat Road, oft said to be the most colourful picturesque street in Singapore. If one really takes the time to explore the area, the real gems are the peeks of these peranakan beauties from the many backlanes and corridors. I stumbled across this Pretty Alley that frames possibly one of the most photographed green and pink houses with high alley windows dancing towards them together with the arching lamppost. My feline friend in the picture would agree with me that it is a beau-ootiful view :) 

Corridor View (koon seng road), 24x18 inches, oil on canvas, SOLD

​Finally, my sojourn ends with an entrancing Corridor View framing the last shophouse in the famous row. It's an intriguing one with a view within a view within a view, if you can spot what I am saying ;p

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Seongsan

One major highlight of Jeju that see hordes of tourists milling the UNESCO World Heritage site everyday, is the 182-metre high Seongsan Ilchulbong, popularly known as ‘Sunrise Peak’.  For me, however, the eastern part of Jeju is much more than that.

It took me more than an hour on a local bus that spouts many many little bus-stops in Korean, English, sometimes Chinese, before I arrived at Seongsan, or rather an obscure stop on a lonesome highway that I almost missed and then luckily got 'rescued' by the hotel owner who came to pick me up.

That was the start of my falling in love with this hospitable part of Jeju, which also marks the Jeju Olle Trail No. 1, the first of some 21 hiking routes encircling the island.  And the most classic one.  Unlike the other Olle Trails which feature the fantastical coastline of Jeju with almighty waves a-pounding, this route starts serenely inland with a little oreum (mountain in Jeju dialect) climb to a breathtaking view of the mountains, large fields and ocean.  I love the walk through the forest, the beautiful trees and flora, even a bright green little snake that slithered across my path at one point.  And the comradeship with fellow hikers at a delightful, and delicious, noodle shop just when I emerged from the hills, before going past bountiful farms with all kinds of vegetables and delectable produce, and arriving at the familiar coast once more.  This trail had it all.  Never mind the dramatic finish at Sunrise Peak.  I just enjoyed the quiet, the peace, the simplicity, the smells, the sounds, and the innate beauty of the countryside.  And that is what this simple painting is about. 

Title: Seongsan 城山 (O96)
Description: Tree overlooking Seongsan's farmland with Sunrise Peak in the distance, a simple painting epitomising the simple joys of hill walking and enjoyment of countryside landscape, inspired by a hike on the Jeju Olle Trail No. 1. Jeju Notes 2014.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76 x 76cm.
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com

Wild Flowers

I seldom paint flowers, not sure why. Maybe because they are ephemeral in nature and I just love to admire them when I see, perhaps capturing in film but not more. I also adore wild flowers much more than the planted ones, because they bloom despite, because they are a privilege to catch, because they seem so free-spirited..  

One of the greatest joys trekking the Jeju Olle Trails was chancing upon these wild flowers that dot the varying nature landscape all over the island.  They are a constant, like the waves and the black rocks. And they never fail to bring a smile to my face :)  

So I am inspired to paint a piece on flowers again, however cliche the material ;p It's just a much treasured image of my memories of Jeju - the carefree feeling of simple joy that it brings me - that I'd like to capture as a momento beyond film. 

Title: Wild Flowers 野花 (O92)
Description: A colourful floral painting inspired by the wild flowers in Jeju, which brought many a smile to a hiker's face on the Jeju Olle Trails. Jeju Notes 2013.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 76 x 76cm.
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com

Sketch Delight

I wanted to do something relaxing for a change. And I'm happiest doing sketches. So when a friend remarked that she likes a mini-acrylic sketch I did last year as a learning piece from an art book which she described as warm and cheerful, I decided to do a full-size sketch work. And I really mean sketch as an end-product.

The art book in question was by Joyce Pike and the reference was a still-life picture of antique-ish objects and warm flowers. At the time I did the mini-sketch, I liked the raw strokes and colours of the sketch stage so much I stopped there. I don't even remember the details of the original reference pic anymore. It doesn't matter as my intention is to create a bright and cheery piece looking like a sketch with my newly-bought big brush that I was so excited to try. And I had great fun doing this.

In the end, I am quite pleased with the result as it makes me smile when I look at it. I may develop a delight series out of this.. Some folks, not knowing what to make of it, enquired (politely) if this was an abstract piece ;p Well, semi-abstract it'd be then. After all, that's the point about sketches and what I love about them - unclear yet full of potential and possibilities so I will leave the viewer to his or her own imagination.


Title: Sketch Delight (O23)
Description: Riotous fun with orange and all sorts of colours for this semi-abstract piece of vases of flowers on a table. 2009.
Medium: Oil on Ready-to-Hang Canvas.
Dimensions: 60 x 45cm.
Purchase at: yen.artfire.com

2 comments:
tina said...
i like this... very diff from those we have seen @ the exhibition.
karen said...
My dad absolutely loves the mini work, Sketch Delight, that I bought him for Christmas! :) We agree its strong points are the vivid colour play and animated brush strokes. The level of abstraction is just perfect... it's detailed enough for us to identify the subject but still leaves room for individual interpretation. Keep up the fantastic work, we look forward to seeing (and supporting) more of your art! :)